Denise MacDonell, general manager for Harris Broadcast Communications’ digital out-of-home business, says the company is working with a Mexican transportation company to install rugged digital signage players in a fleet of buses there and talking to the Nicholson Center for Surgical Advancement about how to incorporate live streaming of operations into its training and education through digital signage.

However for California-based integrator Red Dot Audio Video, once a prolific digital signage integrator, the category has become more trouble than it’s worth. The company has removed any reference to the technology from its website and only talks about offering the service when a potential client asks about it, says president Darryl Kuder.

“Our bigger customers are now going directly to the software companies, where they don’t have to pay a subscription fee for the service,” he says. “They don’t need me if they can do it in-house. For our smaller customers (mostly retail shops and restaurants), the startup costs are fairly prohibitive. It’s become harder and harder.

“The guys who produce the software have no problem taking us out of the chain,” Kuder says.

Whose perspective is closer to the market reality? To get a sense of the different experiences involving digital signage out there, here’s a look at what people are saying within four vertical markets.

Craig MacCormack is a veteran journalist with more than 15 years experience covering local and national news and sports as well as architecture and engineering. He joined Commercial Integrator in January 2011. Follow him on Twitter: @CraigMacCormack.